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________________________
Field Recordings
There is music
in our natural surroundings. If we take the time to be
still and listen critically, all kinds of tones, textures, dynamics
and rhythms come out from hiding.
In a visually-driven culture, "Field Recording" is a great way
to isolate these sounds from our other senses. In
the busy pace of modern life, there are sounds that we take for
granted and are unconscious of. Field Recording documents
these environmental soundscapes and magnifies the complexity
of their detail. Once revealed, many find these aural tapestries
relaxing, meditative and spiritual.
Some might even find them to be disconcerting as it also exposes
how desensitized we have become to the encroachment of society
-the invasive sounds of tires on roadways, horn blasts, and the
drone of planes. As a result, a couple of hours of
active listening in the field may only yield a few minutes of
usable recordings.
And Field Recording
has it's own brand of "Observer
Effect"
where sonic artifacts are unavoidably introduced. The recording
device itself will generate some level of noise, albeit minimal.
And as still as I try to be, you may detect my footfalls,
my hands moving the recorder, my breathing or the rubbing of
my clothing.
 Precision
instruments like digital recorders and condenser microphones
are very sensitive. To capture as accurate an image as
possible, I used two pairs of stereo mics to produce a four-channel
recording with 360° coverage.
The recordings will sound fine on your speakers. Ear buds
will give you improved results. But for the best experience,
close your eyes and use headphones - closed cups that entirely
cover your ears will shut you off from your surroundings and
will immerse you in the recorded space.
These experimental field recordings are studies for a CD project
I am thinking about putting together for release. You
are welcome to listen and to download them for free for
your personal enjoyment (and non-commercial use).
Many of you have been to my art exhibits and purchased my photographic prints. These free field recordings
make a nice accompaniment to those scenes of nature.
If you like what you hear, e-mail me your comments and I may post them
up for others to read. Your input will also help me
determine what interest there is in the project I'm investigating. |
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Uplands Farm
Sanctuary, Cold Spring Harbor
Sunday, September 6, 2009 | Early Afternoon |
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On the North Shore of Long Island,
in Suffolk County, this old dairy farm is nestled in 97 acres
of open fields that were once cattle pastures. Being
near the woods and shrubbery, the area is now home to lots of
Eastern Cottontail rabbits. |
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Recording
1 (2:11) |
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One
black field cricket chirps away dominantly on the middle-left
side against a background wash of wind and common meadow katydids.
You'll hear some creaks from the recorder as I position myself.
The volume of the katydids rises and falls. Although
far from the road, the wind carries the sound of a distant car
horn. The tall grass provides a very "dead" sonic
environment - very little echo is heard. Towards the end,
the cricket keeps dropping out momentarily and then coming back
in. |
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Recording
2 (3:46) |
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In the beginning, you'll hear
some taps and thumping as I get settled with the recorder. There
is a steady high-pitched trill of katydids. As the recording
progresses, you'll hear birds chirping in the middle-right side
and the lower pitch of the cicadas roll in and out on the left
side. If you listen carefully, insects can be heard buzzing
on the left. The katydids gradually get louder and more
intense as the wind rustles through the trees. Eventually
they get softer and then rise in volume again. Towards
the end, the pulse of katydids shifts from left to right and
back again - that's the perspective of me moving around with
the recorder. The low thuds are gusts of wind periodically
buffeting the mics. It's a very tight sounding space as
tall grass is everywhere. |
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Recording
3 (3:12) |
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Katydids and high-pitched bird
chirps mix with the drone of a distant plane. On the middle-left
side is the "laugh" of an unidentified bird. A
hiker walks past quickly - his footsteps sound close on the left
side and then fade away to the right, sounding like he's in the
back of your head. Either the same plane or perhaps another
gets louder as it approaches closer and disappears. On
at least two occasions, I heard the high-pitched buzz of a flying
insect dart by the mics - one can be heard in the center indicating
that it flew above the mics. Another can be heard in the
middle left side. Maybe you'll hear more of them. If you
listen carefully, this is a more "live" environment
than the two prior recordings - some echo can be heard, for instance,
in the bird chirps and the hiker's footsteps. This is because,
in place of tall grass, there are trees, stones and pebbles.
They provide hard surfaces against which the sounds ricochet.
The recording ends with the low rumble of a car starting. |
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